20-year-old Nottingham local, Martin Bassey, has ‘braved-the-shave’ this week and raised over £1,200 for mental health charity Mind – more than four times his fundraising target of £300.
Martin works in the marketing department at Ruddington-based HR, payroll, and finance specialists MHR. Contributions have come from friends, family, colleagues and a £500 donation from MHR itself.
Martin’s mobile barber arrived at MHR’s office on Monday morning where the transformation to his new, sleek look was filmed live for his JustGiving page.
At any given time, one in six working-age adults have symptoms related to mental ill health, yet mental health services are often lacking funding. Mind states that care services are largely under-resourced, understaffed and overstretched, and that is despite significant awareness being raised around mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Martin recently understood what it is like to be negatively impacted by poor mental health and realises the importance of a strong support network of friends and colleagues. He is an advocate for those without this structure and for the lifesaving support charities like Mind offer the vulnerable, particularly young men with the male suicide rate standing at 15.8 per 100,000 – almost three times higher than for women (ONS).
Mind is a mental health charity that focuses on tackling the stigmas of mental health in all areas from healthcare, work life, and law. The charity offers informative and supportive services that in the last year were accessed 21.4 million times. Mind also lobbies government and local authorities on behalf of people suffering from poor mental health.
Jessica Mills, chairman of MHR, said: “Martin’s openness about his recent mental health struggles and his efforts raising money for Mind have been an inspiration for the team at MHR. His charitable nature has really shone through in the last few weeks and Monday was an exciting culmination for his fundraising campaign.
“As an employer we believe in raising awareness about mental health issues and ensuring people get the right support, so we’re delighted to back this initiative and know that the funds will go to Mind, towards helping those in need.”
Martin Bassey, business development representative at MHR, said: “I might be sporting an ‘interesting’ new look, but I know this has all been for a very worthy cause. Mental health services have suffered from lack of funding in recent years, but charities like Mind play a critical role helping to support those in need. If shaving my head helps just one individual in difficulty, then that can only be a positive thing.”
You can donate to Martin’s fundraising efforts here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/martin-bassey-1676990126679
